Employment status of parents of low-income children
| Low-Income | Above Low-Income | |||||
| Full-Time, Full-Year | Part-Time or Part-Year | No Parent Employed | Full-Time, Full-Year | Part-Time or Part-Year | No Parent Employed | |
| National | 51% | 29% | 20% | 90% | 8% | 2% |
| Alabama | 46% | 27% | 27% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| Alaska | 47% | 35% | 18% | 83% | 16% | 1%* |
| Arizona | 59% | 22% | 19% | 90% | 7% | 2%* |
| Arkansas | 56% | 27% | 17% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| California | 56% | 26% | 19% | 88% | 10% | 2% |
| Colorado | 61% | 26% | 13% | 90% | 10% | 1%* |
| Connecticut | 44% | 34% | 23% | 90% | 9% | 1%* |
| Delaware | 64% | 22% | 14% | 93% | 6% | 2%* |
| District of Columbia | 42% | 26% | 32% | 87% | 8% | 4%* |
| Florida | 57% | 23% | 20% | 91% | 7% | 2% |
| Georgia | 58% | 22% | 20% | 94% | 5% | 2%* |
| Hawaii | 55% | 31% | 14% | 90% | 7% | 2%* |
| Idaho | 66% | 22% | 12% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Illinois | 54% | 27% | 19% | 91% | 7% | 2% |
| Indiana | 48% | 28% | 23% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Iowa | 55% | 33% | 12% | 94% | 5% | 1%* |
| Kansas | 55% | 32% | 12% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| Kentucky | 43% | 33% | 24% | 92% | 7% | 2%* |
| Louisiana | 56% | 21% | 24% | 89% | 9% | 2%* |
| Maine | 42% | 40% | 18% | 91% | 8% | 1%* |
| Maryland | 52% | 26% | 22% | 92% | 6% | 2% |
| Massachusetts | 37% | 33% | 30% | 91% | 7% | 1%* |
| Michigan | 47% | 30% | 23% | 91% | 7% | 1%* |
| Minnesota | 54% | 33% | 13% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Mississippi | 50% | 22% | 28% | 91% | 6%* | 3%* |
| Missouri | 51% | 30% | 19% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| Montana | 52% | 33% | 15% | 90% | 9% | 0%* |
| Nebraska | 58% | 26% | 16% | 95% | 5% | 1%* |
| Nevada | 62% | 22% | 16% | 91% | 7% | 2%* |
| New Hampshire | 56% | 33% | 11% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| New Jersey | 55% | 24% | 20% | 91% | 8% | 1%* |
| New Mexico | 48% | 31% | 21% | 90% | 7% | 3%* |
| New York | 53% | 25% | 22% | 91% | 7% | 2% |
| North Carolina | 53% | 27% | 20% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| North Dakota | 61% | 28% | 11% | 95% | 4% | 1%* |
| Ohio | 44% | 31% | 25% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Oklahoma | 58% | 24% | 19% | 92% | 5% | 2%* |
| Oregon | 52% | 33% | 15% | 86% | 12% | 2%* |
| Pennsylvania | 51% | 29% | 20% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Rhode Island | 42% | 33% | 25% | 89% | 10% | 1%* |
| South Carolina | 54% | 27% | 19% | 93% | 5% | 2%* |
| South Dakota | 62% | 26% | 12% | 93% | 6% | 0%* |
| Tennessee | 51% | 33% | 17% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| Texas | 60% | 24% | 16% | 92% | 6% | 2% |
| Utah | 63% | 25% | 12% | 93% | 6% | 1%* |
| Vermont | 55% | 32% | 13% | 90% | 9% | 1%* |
| Virginia | 56% | 26% | 18% | 93% | 5% | 1%* |
| Washington | 48% | 35% | 17% | 87% | 12% | 1%* |
| West Virginia | 45% | 29% | 26% | 90% | 8% | 2%* |
| Wisconsin | 55% | 30% | 15% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
| Wyoming | 61% | 30% | 10% | 92% | 7% | 1%* |
Data Notes & Sources
* This estimate should be used with caution. It may be unreliable due to a small sample size.
State data were calculated from the Annual Social and Economic Supplement (the March supplement) of the Current Population Survey from 2007, 2008, and 2009, representing information from calendar years 2006, 2007, and 2008. NCCP averaged three years of data because of small sample sizes in less populated states. The national data were calculated from the 2009 data, representing information from the previous calendar year.
Definitions
- Low Income
- Families and children are defined as low-income if the family income is less than twice the federal poverty threshold (see Poor).
- Parental Employment
- Parental employment is the employment level of the parent in the household who maintained the highest level of employment in the previous year. Parents can either have no employment in the previous year, part-year or part-time employment, or full-time, year-round employment. Part-year or part-time employment is defined as either working less than 50 weeks in the previous year or less than 35 hours per week. Full-time, year-round employment is defined as working at least 50 weeks in the previous year and 35 hours or more per week for more than half the year.
- Poor
- Families and children are defined as poor if family income is below the federal poverty threshold. The federal poverty level for a family of four with two children was $22,050 in 2009, $21,200 in 2008, and $20,650 in 2007.